Before surviving the leadership spill Tony Abbott made a few concessions to shore up his position.

But at no point did the PM vow to abandon two of his biggest problems - the dysfunctional operation of his office, and his Government's dogged pursuit of a reform agenda that singularly lacks in empathy.

With blood now in the water, an off-the-radar battle is taking place between the right-wing conservatives and the moderates, which could decide the leadership of the party.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott hangs on to the leadership of the Liberal Party after a bid to bring on a spill motion failed by 61 votes to 39 in the party room. Look back on the day's developments through our live blog.